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Environment Institute
The University of Adelaide
SA 5005 Australia

environment@adelaide.edu.au
Phone: +61 8 8313 0543
Phone: +61 8 8303 3670

Climate Futures Seminar Series 5

Reshaping urban environments

Wednesday April 1, 5.00-7.00pm, Horace Lamb Lecture Theatre
Convened by Associate Professor Veronica Soebarto

Professor Steffen Lehmann
UNESCO Chair in Sustainable Urban Development for Asia and the Pacific
School of Architecture and Built Environment, University of Newcastle

Steffen speaks about the conceptual model of 'green urbanism' (title of his forthcoming book, with Earthscan Publisher, London 2009), and the work he is conducting as chair holder of the UNESCO Chair in Sustainable Urban Development for Asia and the Pacific. He provides inspiration by asking how we should best deal with urban growth, how to continue building cities, and transforming existing urban settlements (and coal-powered, greenhouse gas emitting economies) into future-proof models?

Graeme Hopkins, Adjunct Associate Professor
Principal Urban Designer (Metro)
Planning SA

Changes will need to be made in the urban design of cities like Adelaide, if they are to adapt to changing climatic conditions. The predicted changes in rainfall and heat patterns will require different methods of harvesting stormwater, dealing with heat, and providing for bio-diversity to those that are currently operating in most cities. Graeme's introduces us to the idea that using an innovative sustainable urban design methodology such as green infrastructure will create a more sustainable and liveable city. An opportunity that is often overlooked in urban design is using the 3-D form of rooftops and walls of the built form to house these natural systems. This process will help relieve the competing pressures for valuable ground space within the city.

Associate Professor Terry Williamson
Associate Professor Veronica Soebarto
Architecture, Landscape Architecture & Urban Design, University of Adelaide

The urban heat island (UHI) is one of the most well-known manifestations of the urban climate. However, although the term urban heat island is widely known, a city may also experience lower air temperatures in certain conditions and at certain times of the year, this is called an urban cool island – UCI. Terry and Veronica present measurements of the UHI and UCI in Adelaide and the development of computer modeling to predict temperatures in the City of Adelaide.

Associate Professor David Jones
Associate Professor
Landscape Architecture Program, University of Adelaide

David provides a review of the social, economic and environmental issues presently confronting the communities on the Eyre Peninsula.